CHAPTER XXIII.
BATTLE OF MIRAFLORES—1881.
When the South American republics gained their independence in the early part of the present century, there was a general agreement that their boundaries should be established according to those of the Spanish provinces of 1810. In accordance with this agreement, the Bolivian province of Atacama on the Pacific coast extended to the southern limit of Peru on one side, and the northern limit of Chili on the other. The northern limit of Chili was at latitude 25° south, and the province of Atacama in Bolivia was then a desert tract of no particular value. In course of time it was found that the desert contained inexhaustible stores of nitrate of soda and borax, that there were deposits of guano along the coast, and the mountain portions of the province possessed some of the richest silver mines in the world. In consequence of these discoveries, troubles arose between Bolivia and Chili; they afterwards extended to Peru, and out of them grew the war of 1879-81.
Chili laid claim to all territory south of the 23d parallel. After considerable discussion and negotiation, the President of Bolivia in 1866 signed a treaty, conceding Chili's right as far north as the 24th parallel, but the treaty was never ratified by the Bolivian Congress. In return for this supposed concession, it was stipulated that Chili should receive half the customs duties collected between the 23d and 24th parallels, while Bolivia should have half of the
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